document_title: Capital punishment by country

question_text: a country having highest death rate in asia

root

text: Capital punishment by country

text: Global overview[edit]

text: Historically, capital punishment has been used in almost every part of the world. Currently, the large majority of countries have either abolished or discontinued the practice. The U.S. is the most developed country to use the death penalty.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] The use of capital punishment is usually divided into the four categories set out below. As of November 2017, of the 195 independent states that are UN members or have UN observer status:[8]

tag: p

text:
55 retain it in both law and practice.
29 have abolished it de facto, namely, according to Amnesty International standards, that they have not executed anyone during the last 10 or more years and are believed to have a policy or established practice of not carrying out executions.[9]
8 have abolished it de facto, namely that they have not executed anyone during the last 14 or more years and have abolished it de jure, but retain it for exceptional or special circumstances (such as crimes committed in wartime).
103 have abolished it for all crimes, most recently: Madagascar (2015), Fiji (2015), Republic of the Congo (2015), Suriname (2015), Nauru (2016), Benin (2016), Mongolia (2017).

tag: ul

text: Industrialized countries[edit]

text: Of the countries/regions considered to be industrialized, just four countries continue to perform capital punishment: the United States, Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan. (In South Korea, there is a moratorium.)

text: The European Union holds a strong position against the death penalty; its abolition is a key objective for the Union's human rights policy. Abolition is also a pre-condition for entry into the Union. In Europe, only Belarus and the largely unrecognized Donetsk People's Republic continue to actively use capital punishment.[13]

text: Russian Federation and former Soviet republics[edit]

text: Russia retains the death penalty in law, but there is a moratorium. The last execution on Russian territory was in Chechnya in 1999. Of the other former Soviet republics, only Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan have not formally abolished capital punishment, and only Belarus uses it in practice. In Kazakhstan, it may only be used in exceptional/special circumstances such as for crimes committed in wartime, and only one individual is on death row.

text: Africa[edit]

text: In Africa, there are several countries that use the death penalty. Chad abolished the death penalty in 2014, but reintroduced it for acts of terrorism in 2015. Botswana and Nigeria are examples of countries that still execute people. Most recently, Benin repealed the death penalty in 2016.

text: Americas[edit]

text: In the Caribbean countries, the death penalty exists at least de jure (except in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, which abolished it in 1966 and 1987, respectively; in 2008, St. Kitts & Nevis hanged a murderer and became the only country in the Americas other than the United States to use the death penalty in the past ten years). In Central and South America, the death penalty exists in Belize and Guyana, though it has not been used for years. In Brazil, Chile, El Salvador and Peru, the death penalty is used only in exceptional/special circumstances such as for crimes committed in wartime and was abolished for other crimes. Guatemala abolished it for civil cases in 2017. Opinion polls state sentiment for governments to return to the capital punishment remains high in many Caribbean countries and pressure on politicians to retain it factors high.

text: Asia-Pacific[edit]

text: Most executions worldwide take place in Asia. China is the world's most active death penalty country. North Korea's dictator, Kim Jong-un constantly uses capital punishment against his opponents.[citation needed] In Islamic countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia, the numbers of executions are also very high. Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan belong to the few industrialized countries that have the death penalty (South Korea has a moratorium). In 2017 Mongolia repealed the death penalty, but some countries are seeing a return to the practice; in the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte wants to restore executions, and Turkish President Recep Erdogan has promised to do so after the 2017 constitutional referendum. India executes criminals only in extreme cases. Only 26 executions have taken place in India since 1991.

text: Numbers executed in 2016[edit]

text: According to Amnesty International, 23 countries performed a combined total of about 1,032 executions in 2016:

text:
Africa (6 countries): Botswana (1), Egypt (44+), Nigeria (3), Somalia (14 [Puntland 1, Somaliland 6, Federal Government of Somalia 7]), South Sudan (unknown number), Sudan (3)
Americas (1 country): USA (20)
Asia-Pacific (15 countries): Afghanistan (6), Bangladesh (10), China (unknown number), Indonesia (4), Iran (567+), Iraq (88+), Japan (3), Malaysia (9), North Korea (unknown number), Pakistan (87+), State of Palestine (3 [Hamas authorities, Gaza]), Saudi Arabia (154+), Singapore (4), Taiwan (1), Vietnam (unknown number)
Europe (1 country): Belarus (4+)

text: For China, North Korea, South Sudan, and Vietnam, there are no precise numbers available. Syria allegedly conducts large numbers of executions in secret, but the number is unknown.

text: For the first time since 2006, the USA (20 executions) was not among the biggest five executioners (in 2016: China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Pakistan–in that order).

text: Belarus, the only European country to maintain the death penalty in practice, resumed executions after there had been no executions there the year before. 2015 and 2009 were the only two years in recorded history when Europe was completely free of executions.

text: Capital punishment by continents[edit]

text: Africa[edit]

text: Of the 54 independent states in Africa that are UN members:

text:
16 (30%) maintain the death penalty in both law and practice.
1 (2%) retains it for crimes committed in exceptional circumstances (such as in time of war).
18 (33%) permit its use for ordinary crimes, but have not used it for at least 10 years and are believed to have a policy or established practice of not carrying out executions, or it is under a moratorium.
19 (35%) have abolished it.

text: Many African countries have carried out no executions for over 10 years, but are not believed to have an abolitionist policy or established practice.

text: The information above is accurate as of 2016, when Benin abolished capital punishment. Chad abolished the death penalty in 2014, but restored it for terrorism in 2015.

text: In 2016, Egypt was Africa's leading executioner. This century the following African countries have abolished capital punishment; Ivory Coast (2000), Senegal (2004), Rwanda (2007), Burundi (2009), Togo (2009), Gabon (2010), Congo (2015), Madagascar (2015) and Benin (2016).

text:
Executions in Africa in 2016: Egypt (44+), Botswana (1), Somalia (14), Sudan (3), South Sudan (unknown number), Nigeria (3)[14]
Note: The tables can be sorted alphabetically or chronologically using the  icon.

text:
Key
Country
Year of last execution
Executions 2016
Year abolished
Notes

 Algeria
1993

n/a
Firing Squad, shooting. Death penalty for treason; espionage; aggravated murder; castration resulting in death; arson (or destruction using explosive devices) of buildings, vehicles or harvests resulting in death; intentional destruction of military equipment resulting in death; attempts to change the regime or actions aimed at incitement; destruction of territory; sabotage to public and economic utilities; massacres and slaughters; participation in armed bands or in insurrectionary movements; counterfeiting; terrorism; acts of torture or cruelty; kidnapping; aggravated theft; some military offences; poisoning; attempting a death-eligible offense; some cases of recidivism and perjury leading to a death sentence pronounced.[15] Currently under a moratorium. On 20 December 2012, Algeria co-sponsored and voted in favour of the Resolution on a Moratorium on the Use of the Death Penalty at the UN General Assembly.[16]

 Angola
*None since independence in 1975

1992
Abolished in 1992 by Constitution

 Benin
1987

2016
On 6 July 2012, Benin acceded to the Second Additional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which makes Benin abolitionist.[17] The decision was upheld by the Constitutional Court in January 2016 although the death penalty is still present in statutes.[9]

 Botswana
2016[18]
1
n/a
Hanging, and state also has power to determine method of execution by offense committed. Death penalty for murder; espionage; treason; attempt on the life of the head of state; mutiny; desertion in the face of the enemy, aggravated piracy and terrorism. Persons excused from capital punishment are pregnant women, teenagers who were younger than 18 at time of crime, the mentally ill, and comments[19]. As of 2016, there was one man suspected of being hanged.

 Burkina Faso
1988

n/a
Firing squad, shooting. Death penalty for treason;[20] aggravated murder; castration resulting in death; torture of a kidnapped person; aggravated theft causing death or bodily harm; kidnapping a juvenile resulting in death; arson resulting in death; destruction of military vehicles, buildings or facilities resulting in death; terrorism; espionage; certain military offences (e.g. desertion, mutiny); crimes against humanity; genocide; attempting to commit a death-eligible crime; poisoning; abusing a child with the intent to cause death; assaulting an on-duty public official, judge or jury member, with the intent to cause death and the use of torture or barbaric practices in order to commit a crime.[21] In 2015, Burkina Faso was considering abolishing the death penalty.[22]

 Burundi
2000[23]

2009[24]
Death penalty abolished in revised 2009 criminal code. Extrajudicial executions are still commonplace.[25] Despite having abolished the death penalty, Burundi voted against the UN Moratorium on capital punishment in 2016.

 Cameroon
1997[26]

n/a
Hanging, firing squad, shooting. Death penalty for secession; espionage; treason; terrorism; aggravated murder; premeditated murder; violent theft leading to death or causing grievous bodily harm; abduction of a minor resulting in the death of that minor; assault on a state employee with intent to kill; attempt of a death-eligible crime and conspiracy to commit a death-eligible crime; plundering by gangs using force during times of war and incitement to war.[27][28] In February 2014, the President of the Republic, Paul Biya, commuted all persons condemned to the death penalty to life in prison. The decree commuted their sentences to 25 years incarceration.[29] However, death sentences have continued to be handed down as of 2016.[30]

 Cape Verde
*None since independence in 1975

1981
Last execution when a colony of Portugal was 1835. Abolished in 1981 by Constitution.

 Central African Republic
1981

n/a
Firing squad. Death penalty for treason; espionage; charlatanism; witchcraft; assassination; murder;[31] aggravated murder; terrorism; rape; armed robbery; kidnapping; repeated assault on or negligence of a child resulting in death; castration resulting in death; making a false accusation leading to a person being sentenced to death; using torture in connection with another crime; assaulting a member of government or parliament, a judge or a police officer with the intent to kill; attempting a death-eligible crime; some cases of recidivism; genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity[32]

 Chad[33]
2015[34]

n/a
Firing Squad, shooting.[35] Death penalty for aggravated murder, arson, kidnapping resulting in the death of the victim, terrorism-related crimes, treason, espionage, assaulting a public official, attempting murder by poisoning, committing torture or other barbarous acts, and military offenses[36]. Persons excused from capital punishment are women with small children, women who are pregnant, teenagers who were under 18 at time of crime, and the mentally ill[37]. Capital punishment was abolished in 2014,[38] but then reintroduced the following year.

 Comoros
1997[39]

n/a
Firing squad. Death penalty for aggravated murder, murder, public comments, rape (if it results in the death of the victim), barbaric actions including torture, and aggravated rape[40]. Persons excluded from capital punishment are pregnant women, women with small children, teenagers who were under 18 at the time of the crime, and the mentally ill.

 Congo
1982

2015[41]
Death penalty abolished November 2015 by constitution.

 Democratic Republic of the Congo
2003[42]

n/a
Hanging, shooting. Death penalty for murder, aggravated murder, treason, destruction of military facilities resulting in death, imposing superstitious trials by ordeal resulting in death, terrorism, armed robbery, drug trafficking and drug possession during wartime, espionage, misappropriation by a public prosecutor of seized or confiscated goods in time of war, some military offences, war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.[43]

 Djibouti
*None since independence in 1977

1995

 Egypt
2017[44]
44+
n/a
Hanging or firing squad. Death penalty for rape (if the victim is also kidnapped); murder; treason; terrorism; espionage; perjury causing wrongful execution[45] and organized drug trafficking. Those excused from the death penalty are: women with small children, women who are pregnant, teenagers who were under 18 at the time of the crime, and the mentally ill[46]. In Egypt, it is believed that at least 1,700 people were executed under the death penalty, and 1,413 death sentences alone were issued between 2007 and 2014[47]. Since the beginning of 2015, there have been reports of at least 354 death sentences carried out; however, numbers are not totally reliable, for the governments secrecy surrounding capital punishment prevents them from releasing total information.

 Equatorial Guinea
2014[48]

n/a
Hanging, firing squad. Death penalty for murder, treason, terrorism, armed robbery, espionage, piracy, war crimes, some military offences and crimes against humanity.[49]

 Eritrea
*None since independence in 1993

n/a
Hanging, shooting. Last execution when part of Ethiopia was 1989. Death penalty for murder, armed robbery, espionage, treason, economic crimes, military offenses, war crimes and genocide. At least one execution may have been carried out between 1999 and 2008, but this remains unconfirmed.[50]

 Ethiopia
2007[51]

n/a
Firing squad. Death penalty for murder, robbery resulting in death or permanent disability of the victim, armed robbery, terrorism, some economic crimes, espionage, treason, certain military offences, armed conspiracy, war crimes, genocide, attempted capital offenses, certain economic crimes in time of war and outrages against the constitution[52]

 Gabon
1981[53]

2010[54]
Abolished in February 2010

 Gambia
2012[55]

n/a
Hanging, firing squad. Death penalty for treason, murder and terrorism.[56] Capital punishment was abolished in 1993 but was reinstated by Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council in August 1995[57] In 2017, Gambia was considering abolishing the death penalty.[58]

 Ghana
1993

n/a
Firing squad, hanging. Death penalty for murder; treason; armed robbery[57] In 2014, it was agreed that a referendum would be held on several constitutional amendments including the abolition of capital punishment.[59]

 Guinea
2001[60]

2016 (Civilian) N/A (Military)
Firing squad is used. Abolished 2016 for ordinary crimes, still retained "for exceptional crimes including treason; desertion in presence of the enemy; capitulation; destruction of ships/planes and revolt at times of war or state of emergency."[61]

 Guinea-Bissau
1986

1993
Abolished 1993 by Constitution.

 Ivory Coast
*None since independence in 1960[57]

2000

 Kenya
1987

n/a
Hanging. Death penalty for terrorism; terrorism acts; high treason; murder, armed robbery,[62] treason, military offenses and administering an oath purported to bind a person to commit a capital offense[63]. On 3 August 2009, the death sentences of all 4,000 death row inmates were commuted to life imprisonment, and government studies were ordered to determine if the death penalty has any impact on crime.

 Lesotho
1995[64]

n/a
Hanging. Death penalty for murder, treason, rape, and military offenses such as mutiny.[65]

 Liberia
2000[66]

n/a
Hanging. Death penalty for aggravated murder, armed robbery, terrorism, "mercenarism" resulting in death, hijacking, treason and espionage.[67] On 16 September 2005, Liberia acceded to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, abolishing the death penalty, but re-introduced elements of it in July 2008.[68][69]

 Libya
2010[70]

n/a
Firing squad, shooting. Libya executed more people (18) in 2010, than any other African state. Current laws allow capital punishment for high treason; attempt to forcibly change the form of government; premeditated murder; aggravated murder; terrorism; drug trafficking; robbery resulting in death; espionage and military offences such as assisting the enemy or undermining the defense or the territorial integrity of the State[70][71]

 Madagascar
1958

2015
Abolished 10 December 2014[72] Earlier, on 24 September 2012, Madagascar had signed the Second Additional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.[73]

 Malawi
1992[74]

n/a
Hanging is used. Death penalty for murder; rape; violent robbery; burglary; treason; housebreaking and military offenses[75].

 Mali
1980

n/a
Executions by firing squad. Death penalty for aggravated murder; terrorism; violent robbery, armed robbery or gang-robbery; arson; kidnapping; treason; espionage; certain military offenses; crimes against humanity; genocide; assaulting on-duty state employees with the intention of causing death; poisoning or mass poisoning of water supplies; committing torture or barbarous acts in the course of a serious offense and attempting a death-eligible crime[76]. Currently, no individual has been executed since 1980, making Mali a de facto abolitionist country.

 Mauritania
1987

n/a
Death penalty for homosexuality, sodomy,[77] apostasy[78] (no recorded executions), blasphemy,[79] adultery, murder, aggravated murder, terrorism, torture, rape, armed robbery, attempted armed robbery, arson, accomplice to a death-eligible crime, assaulting a judge or public official in the course of his duties resulting in his death, kidnapping resulting in death, abandoning a child or an incapacitated person causing his/her death, espionage, treason, perjury causing wrongful execution, some cases of repeat offences and the voluntary destruction of buildings, bridges, dams or roads causing deaths.[80]

 Mauritius
1987

1995

 Morocco
1993

n/a
Death penalty for terrorism,[62] treason, espionage, corruption, perjury causing wrongful execution and aggravated murder.[81] In December 2013 a parliamentary opposition group filed a bill to abolish the death penalty in Morocco. The MP who introduced the bill said he was "optimistic" about the bill passing "in view of the current reform movement in Morocco".[82]

 Mozambique
1986

1990
Abolished November 1990 by Constitution

 Namibia
*None since independence in 1990

1990
Last execution when occupied by South Africa was in 1988. Abolished March 1990 by Constitution.

 Niger
1976

n/a
Executions by firing squad. Death penalty allowed for aggravated murder; castration resulting in death; kidnapping a minor resulting in death; terrorism; robbery; treason; espionage; genocide; crimes against humanity; attempt or conspiracy to commit genocide, crimes against humanity and certain war crimes; torture; human trafficking; poisoning; harboring criminals; perjury leading to a person being sentenced to death; attempting to commit a death-eligible offense and redicivism in case of most serious offenses[83]. Abolitionist de facto as the last execution took place in 1976.

 Nigeria
2016[84]
3
n/a
Death penalty for murder; blasphemy; homosexuality; adultery; treason; rape; robbery; incest; assisting the suicide of a person legally unable to consent; perjury in a capital case causing wrongful execution; terrorism; terrorist acts; some military offences; sodomy;[85] kidnapping and practice of indigenous beliefs in states applying Shariah law.[86] Each of the 36 states has its own laws. In the north of the country, Sharia (Islamic law) is used. In Imo State, a bill that provided capital punishment for kidnapping was signed into law. Southern states of Nigeria have imposed a moratorium on the death penalty since 2004.[87]

 Rwanda
1998

2007[88]
Since some of the perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide fled to countries that refuse to extradite suspects to countries that use capital punishment, the Rwandan parliament voted to abolish capital punishment in 2007.

 São Tomé and Príncipe
*None since independence in 1975

1990
Abolished September 1990 by Constitution

 Senegal
1967

2004

 Seychelles
*None since independence in 1976

1993
Abolished June 1993 by Constitution

 Sierra Leone
1998

n/a
Death penalty for treason;[89] murder; aggravated robbery. Under the Special Court for Sierra Leone the death penalty is not a punishment for war crimes

 Somalia
2017[90]
14
n/a
Hanging, firing squad or stoning. Somalia is the only African state that carries out public executions. The Transitional Federal Government laws allowed for execution (in the limited area of the country it used to control) for murder, terrorism, treason, espionage, some military offences, blasphemy, apostasy and adultery.

 South Africa
1989

1995
The last execution by the South African government was on 14 November 1989. An execution occurred in the internationally unrecognised "homeland" of Venda in 1991.[26] Capital punishment was declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court on 6 June 1995 in the case of S v Makwanyane and Another. In 1997 the Criminal Law Amendment Act formally removed the invalidated provisions from the statute-book, and made provision for the resentencing of prisoners previously sentenced to death.[91] On 25 May 2005 the Constitutional Court ordered that all remaining death sentences in the country be set aside and the prisoners resentenced as soon as possible.[92]

 South Sudan
2016[93]
unknown number
n/a
Death penalty for treason; insurgency, banditry, sabotage or terrorism resulting in death; perjury in a capital case leading to wrongful execution; murder; attempted murder causing injury by a person sentenced to life for a previous murder; brigandage with murder; and drug dealing under aggravated circumstances.[94]

 Sudan
2016[95]
3
n/a
Death penalty for sodomy,[96] waging war against the state,[97] apostasy,[78] prostitution, homosexuality, drug trafficking, treason, perjury in a capital case causing wrongful execution, espionage, acts that may endanger the independence or unity of the state, murder, armed robbery, abetting the suicide of an individual unable to give legal consent, terrorism, rape and incest committed by a married offender.[95]

 Swaziland
1983[98]

n/a
Death penalty for murder;[99] treason

 Tanzania
1994

n/a
Death penalty for murder; treason; military offenses; mutiny by prison officers; and abortion (in Zanzibar semi-autonomous region)[100]

 Togo
1978[101]

2009[102]

 Tunisia
1991

n/a
Death penalty for murder; terrorism; terrorism acts; violence and aggression; attacks against the external security of the state; kidnapping and sequestration resulting in death; treason; espionage; rape; arson; military offenses; attempt of a death-eligible offense and assault on a judge on duty, with threat or use of a weapon[103]. On 6 January 2014 the National Constituent Assembly (NCA) voted for maintaining capital punishment in the upcoming constitution in Tunisia. The votes were by 135 yes out of a total of 174.[104] Since 2015, it has been possible to give the death penalty for terrorism.

 Uganda
2005[105]

n/a
Death penalty for murder; terrorism; kidnapping; rape; robbery if the offender uses or threatens to use a deadly weapon, resulting in death or causing "grievous harm" to anyone; smuggling if the offender uses or threatens to use a deadly weapon, resulting in death or causing "grievous harm" to anyone; treason and some military offences.[106][107] In 2009, the Supreme Court upheld a 2005 Constitutional Court ruling that although the death penalty was constitutional, its use as a mandatory punishment for certain crimes was not.[108]

 Zambia
1997

n/a
Death penalty for murder; aggravated robbery; high treason. President Levy Mwanawasa stated in 2004 that "For as long as I remain President, I will not execute a death warrant."

 Zimbabwe
2005

n/a
Death penalty for murder; high treason; terrorism; some military offences; attempted murder, incitement or conspiracy to commit murder; war crimes and genocide.[109]

tag: table

text: Americas[edit]

text: Of the 35 independent states in the Americas that are UN members:

text:
13 maintain the death penalty in both law and practice.
5 retain it for crimes committed in exceptional circumstances (such as in time of war).
1 permit its use for ordinary crimes, but have not used it for at least 10 years and are believed to have a policy or established practice of not carrying out executions, or it is under a moratorium.
16 have abolished capital punishment.

text: Many Caribbean countries have carried out no executions for over 10 years, but are not believed to have an abolitionist policy or established practice.

text: The United States was the only country in the Americas to carry out executions in 2015. The only other country in the Americas to have performed an execution since 2003 is Saint Kitts and Nevis, in 2008. The countries in the Americas that most recently abolished the death penalty are Suriname (2015), Argentina (2009), and Bolivia (2009). Guatemala abolished the death penalty for civil cases in 2017.

text: Executions in the Americas in 2016: United States (20).[110]

text:
Key
Country
Year of last execution
Executions 2016
Year abolished
Notes

 Antigua and Barbuda
1991

n/a
Hanging. Death penalty for murder and treason.[111] Currently, no individual is under the sentence of death, as the last death sentence in the country was commuted in 2016.[112]

 Argentina
1956

1984 (civilian)
2009 (military)
Constitution of 1853 states "The penalty of death for political offences, all kinds of torture, and flogging, are forever abolished." [113] And was complety abolished by the Penal Code of 30 April 1922.[114]
Despite this it was reinstated on several occasions:

Between 6 September 1930 by martial law until 20 February 1932.[114]
Between 9 June 1956 by martial law imposing summary executions[115] and abolished on 13 June 1956.[116]
Between 2 June 1970[117][118] and abolished on 27 May 1973.[119]
Between 25 June 1976[120] and finally abolished on 9 August 1984.[121]

The Military Code of Justice (including the death penalty) was abolished on 6 August 2008 taking effect the following year.[122]

 Bahamas
2000

n/a
Hanging. Death penalty for treason; piracy; murder. Currently no individual is under the sentence of death, as the last death sentence in the country was commuted in 2016.[112]

 Barbados
1984[26]

n/a
Death penalty for murder; terrorism; participating in a mutiny; treason and espionage.[123] Presently under review before the IACHR[citation needed] despite strong national support.[124][125]

 Belize
1985[26]

n/a
Death penalty for murder, except where extenuating circumstances can be proved,[126] aggravated murder, war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, some military offences and treason.[127]

 Bolivia
1974

2013
Abolished for ordinary crimes 1997. "The death penalty does not exist" (Article 15).

 Brazil
1876

1978 (Civilian) N/a (Military)

Hanging (in the past, for civil offences), firing squad (military offences). Brazil has always maintained the death penalty in wartime as part of its Military Code but, after Brazil became a Republic in 1889, capital punishment for civil offenses or for military offences committed in peacetime was abolished by the first republican Constitution, adopted in 1891. The penalty for crimes committed in peacetime was then reinstated (during authoritarian governments) and abolished again twice (1938–53 and 1969–78), but on those occasions it was restricted to acts of terrorism or subversion considered "internal warfare".[128][129][130][131] Only one civilian was sentenced to death in the republican period, in 1969, but the sentence was commuted and was not carried out. In the republican era, all military death sentences imposed for crimes committed during wartime (the Second World War was Brazil's last international military conflict) were similarly commuted and not carried out. The current Constitution of Brazil (1988) expressly forbids the use of capital punishment, except for military offences committed during a war duly declared by Congress.[132] The last person to suffer the death penalty in Brazil was executed in 1876, during the Imperial era. After 1876, Emperor Pedro II adopted in practice an abolitionist policy through his prerrogative of Mercy as Head of State, by directing that all death sentences be submitted by the Courts to the Imperial Government for examination regarding commutation (even without a request for pardon or commutation from the person condemned), and by granting commutations for all death sentences that were passed. For more information see Capital punishment in Brazil.

 Canada
1962 (military c.1945)

1998
Abolished in 1976 for ordinary crimes; abolished 1998 for military offences (last used in 1945). For more information see Capital punishment in Canada

 Chile
1985

2001 (Civilian) N/A (Military)
Shooting. Death penalty for war crimes and crimes against humanity during times of war. Abolished from civil justice in 2001.

 Colombia
1909

1910
Abolished in 1910 by Constitutional reform. Prohibited by the Colombian Constitution of 1991: "The right to life is inviolable. There will be no death penalty."

 Costa Rica
1859[133]

1877
Abolished 1877 by Constitution

 Cuba
2003[134]

n/a
Firing squad. Death penalty for murder, attempted murder, hijacking, acts of terrorism, treason, espionage,[135] political offenses[clarification needed], child rape, molestation of a child under 12 years of age with aggravating factors, rape of an adult with aggravating factors, rape of an adult that results in death, illness or grievous bodily harm, robbery with aggravating factors, drug offenses, production of child pornography, child trafficking, child prostitution, child corruption, piracy, working as a mercenary, apartheid, genocide, pedophilia. De facto abolitionist as the last execution took place on 11 April 2003. The last death sentences were commuted in 2010.[136] See also Capital punishment in Cuba

 Dominica
1986

n/a
Executions by hanging. Death penalty for aggravated murder and treason[137].

 Dominican Republic
1966

1966
Abolished in 1966 by Constitution.

 Ecuador
1884

1906
Abolished 1906 by Constitution.

 El Salvador
1973

1983 (Civilian) N/A (Military)
May be imposed only in cases provided by military laws during a state of international war.[138] Abolished for other crimes 1983.

 Grenada
1978

n/a

 Guatemala
2000[139]

2017 (Civilian) N/A (Military)
Lethal injection. Until 2017, death penalty for murder, espionage, treason, drug trafficking, kidnapping, torture, and terrorism. Abolished for civil cases in 2017.

 Guyana
1997

n/a
Death penalty for terrorist acts;[140] murder; mass murder; rape; willful murder; treason; torture. The constitution states that it must not be a mandatory punishment.

 Haiti
1972

1987
Abolished 1987 by Constitution.

 Honduras
1940

1956
Abolished 1956 by Constitution.

 Jamaica
1988[141]

n/a
Death penalty for murder.[142]

 Mexico
1961 – Military
1937 – Civilian

1976
Abolished for all crimes in 2005.[143] See also Capital punishment in Mexico.

 Nicaragua
1930

1979
Abolished 1979 by Constitution

 Panama
*None since independence in 1903

1903
Abolished 1903 by Constitution.

 Paraguay
1928

1992
Abolished 1992 by Constitution

 Peru
1979

1979 (Civilian) N/A (Military)
Firing squad. Death penalty for treason; terrorism; espionage; genocide; mutiny; desertion in times of war.[138] Abolished for other crimes 1979.

 Saint Kitts and Nevis
2008[144]

n/a
Hanging. Death penalty for murder and treason

 Saint Lucia
1995

n/a
Hanging. Death penalty for murder; treason

 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
1995

n/a
Death penalty for murder; treason

 Suriname
1982

2015[61]
Abolished 2015.

 Trinidad and Tobago
1999

n/a
Death penalty for murder; treason[145]

 United States
2017[146]
20
n/a
Methods vary by state, federal, and military policy, but include lethal injection, hanging, firing squad, the electric chair, and the gas chamber. Federal law provides the death penalty for many homicide-related crimes, espionage, treason, terrorism, murder, robbery, and drug trafficking.[147][148] 31 of the 50 states currently have the death penalty. Of the non-state territories, American Samoa still has capital punishment as a local statute,[149] and the others have abolished it. The Supreme Court has severely limited the crimes that the death penalty can be a punishment for. It has also abolished the death penalty for crimes committed by a person under the age of 18. Sentences of death may be handed down by a jury or a judge (upon a bench trial or a guilty plea). See Capital punishment in the United States.

 Uruguay
1905

1907
Abolished by the "Law No. 3238" on 23 September 1907 and by the Constitution of 1918.

 Venezuela
*None since independence in 1830

1863
Abolished 1863 by Constitution

text: Asia-Pacific[edit]

text: Of the 57 independent countries in the Asia-Pacific region that are UN member or observer states:

text:
25 (44%) maintain the death penalty in both law and practice.
9 (16%) permit its use for ordinary crimes, but have not used it for at least 10 years and are believed to have a policy or established practice of not carrying out executions, or it is under a moratorium.
2 (4%) retain it for crimes committed in exceptional circumstances (such as in time of war).
21 (37%) have abolished it.

text: The information above is accurate as of 2016[update], when Nauru abolished the death penalty, and does not include Taiwan, which is not currently a UN member; Taiwan practises the death penalty by shooting, and conducted one execution in 2016. Hong Kong and Macau are also listed below but not included in the figures above as they do not have UN membership separate from China.

text: In 2014, Asia had the world's four leading practitioners of capital punishment – China, Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. The most recent countries to abolish capital punishment in the Asia-Pacific region are; Timor-Leste (2002), Bhutan (2004), Samoa (2004), Philippines (2006), Kyrgyzstan (2007), Uzbekistan (2008), Fiji (2015), Nauru (2016), and Mongolia (2017).

text: Executions in 2016: China (unknown number), North Korea (unknown number), Iran (567+), Iraq (88+), Saudi Arabia (154+), Yemen (unknown number), Afghanistan (6), Vietnam (unknown number), Japan (3), Palestine (3), Malaysia (9), Singapore (4), Syria (unknown number), Bangladesh (10), Pakistan (87+).[14]

text:
Key
Country
Year of last execution
Executions 2016
Year abolished
Notes

 Afghanistan
2017[150]
6
n/a
Hanging; shooting. Current laws allow capital punishment for aggravated murder, murder, arson, unintentional death to a child, terrorism -related offenses, treason, espionage, adultery (including sex before marriage), consensual homosexual sex, apostasy, and giving false witness[151]. The death penalty largely revolves around their faith and the degree of an offense is determined by if it offends their god and religion. Afghanistan does have a mandatory death penalty quota, which they must meet every year; in 2015 there has to be 1 death for every 28,396,000 persons[152]. Categories of persons excused from capital punishment are teenagers who were under 18 at time of crime, and pregnant women.

 Australia
1967[153]

1985
Capital punishment was abolished in Queensland in 1922, Tasmania in 1968, The Northern Territory; Australian Capital Territory and the Commonwealth in 1973, Victoria in 1975, South Australia in 1976, Western Australia in 1984 and New South Wales in 1985. See also capital punishment in Australia.

 Bahrain
2017[154]

n/a
Death penalty for premeditated murder; aggravated murder; rape, sexual assault or statutory rape; kidnapping; rape of child; arson; assault; deliberately obstructing funerals or memorial services; certain crimes against property, transportation or agriculture under aggravating circumstances; terrorism; plotting to topple the regime; collaborating with a foreign hostile country; threatening the life of the Emir; defiance of military orders in time of war or martial law; perjury causing wrongful execution; treason; drug trafficking and espionage[155]

 Bangladesh
2017[156]
10
n/a
Hanging. Death penalty for murder;[157] drug offences;[158] sodomy; kidnapping and trafficking in children for immoral or illegal purposes; human trafficking; kidnapping a person (especially children or women) to force him/her to engage in prostitution and expose him/her to sexual exploitation/slavery; terrorism; rape; armed robbery; sedition; sabotage; hijacking planes; military offences such as abetting mutiny, cowardice or desertion; attempted dowry murder; abetting or conspiring to commit capital offenses; perjury causing wrongful execution; espionage;[159] treason[160] and war crimes.

 Bhutan
1974[74]

2004

 Brunei
*None since independence in 1984

n/a
Hanging is used. Last execution when a protectorate of Britain was in 1957. Death penalty for murder; unlawful possession of firearms and explosives; possession of heroin or morphine of more than 15 grams, cocaine of more than 30 grams, cannabis of more than 500 grams, syabu or methamphetamine of more than 50 grams, or opium of more than 1.2 kg;[161] terrorism; abetting the suicide of a person unable to give legal consent; arson; kidnapping; abetting a successful mutiny; treason and perjury resulting in the conviction of an innocent defendant of a capital offense.[162] A new penal code was introduced in April 2014 and introduced the death penalty for male same-sex acts if one of the parties is Muslim (by stoning); rape; adultery; apostasy; sodomy; extramarital sexual relations for Muslims; insulting any verse of the Quran and Hadith; blasphemy and declaring oneself a prophet or non-Muslim.[161][163]

 Cambodia
1989

1989
Abolished in 1989 by Constitution.

 China
2017[164]
unknown number
n/a
Shooting (firing squad); lethal injection. China carries out far more executions than all of the rest of the world combined, and is the only country in the world that routinely executes thousands of people every year.[165] On 25 February 2011 China's newly revised Criminal Law reduced the number of crimes punishable by death by 13, from 68 to 55.[166] Among these are embezzlement; rape (particularly of children); fraud; bombing; flooding; rioting; separatism; armed rebellion; collaborationism; political dissidence; subversion; spreading poisons/hazardous substances; people trafficking; forcing a person to engage in prostitution (especially children, often after kidnapping or rape); piracy; theft; drug trafficking; corruption; arson; aggravated assault; aircraft hijacking resulting in death; producing or selling tainted food or fake medicine resulting in death or serious medical injury; participating in an armed prison riot or jailbreak; murder; aggravated murder; burglary; kidnapping; robbery; armed robbery; espionage; treason; poaching; military offences (like insubordination, cowardice); sabotaging electricity, gas, fuel, petroleum, weapons, flammables, explosives and military communications/installations; illegal possession, transport, smuggling, or selling of explosives or firearms; illegally manufacturing, selling, transporting or storing hazardous materials; trafficking or smuggling nuclear materials; endangerment of national security and terrorism. Even the higher sections of Chinese society are not exempt from the death penalty, as billionaire Liu Han was executed 9 February 2015.[167][168] See also capital punishment in the People's Republic of China.
 Hong Kong and  Macau are under different jurisdiction from China and have abolished the death penalty. See corresponding entries.

 Fiji
*None since independence in 1970

2015[169]
Last execution when a colony of Britain was in 1964. The death penalty for crimes under the Republic of Fiji Military Forces Act was abolished in Feb 2015. Abolished for other crimes 1979.

 Hong Kong
1966

1993

Main article: Capital punishment in Hong Kong
It was last used in 1966 and abolished in 1993 by the then British colonial government.

 India
2015

n/a
Hanging, shooting can be used in the military court-martial system. Death penalty for murder; instigating a minor's or a mentally ill's suicide; treason; terrorism; a second conviction for drug trafficking; aircraft hijacking; aggravated robbery; espionage; kidnapping; being a party to a criminal conspiracy to commit a capital offence; attempted murder by those sentenced to life imprisonment if the attempt results in harm to the victim; perjury causing wrongful execution;[170] aggravated rape/gang-rape; drug smuggling under aggravated circumstances; abetting sati, mutiny and its abetting; causing explosions which can endanger life or property and a few military offences like desertion. Military offences may be punished with a firing squad. See also capital punishment in India

 Indonesia
2016[171]
4
n/a
Firing squad. Death penalty for murder; high treason; espionage; some acts of corruption which damage national economy or finances; aggravated gang-robbery; extortion with force or threat of force; terrorism; some military offences; genocide; crimes against humanity; piracy resulting in death; drug trafficking and developing, producing, obtaining, transferring or using of chemical weapons.[74][172] 8 people including overseas nationals executed on 29 April 2015[173]

 Iran
2017[174]
567+
n/a
Hanging, shooting or stoning. Iran performs public executions. Iran is second only to China in the number of executions it carries out—executing hundreds every year.[175][165] Death penalty for murder; armed robbery; drug trafficking; kidnapping; rape; burglary; child molestation; pedophilia; sodomy; homosexuality; incestuous relations; fornication; prohibited sexual relations; sexual misconduct; prostitution;[176][177] rebellion; plotting to overthrow the Islamic regime; political dissidence; sabotage; arson; espionage; treason; terrorism; joining the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant; certain military offenses (e.g. cowardice, assisting the enemy); apostasy; adultery; blasphemy; counterfeiting; smuggling; speculating; disrupting production; recidivist theft; extortion; immoral attitude; recidivist consumption of alcohol; producing or preparing food, drink, cosmetics or sanitary items that lead to death when consumed or used; producing and publishing pornography; using pornographic materials to solicit sex; recidivist false accusation of capital sexual offenses causing execution of an innocent person;[178] "enmity against God" and "corruption on earth." Secret executions are widespread in the country, so that exact numbers for each year are difficult to obtain and different figures are provided by various organizations. At least 437 people have been executed in Iran in 2017. See also capital punishment in Iran.

 Iraq
2017[179]
88+
n/a
Hanging. Death penalty for murder; endangering national security; distributing drugs; rape; incest; apostasy; espionage; treason;[180] joining the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant; separatism; organizing a referendum of independence of Kurdistan; robbery; armed robbery; theft; burglary; kidnapping; attacks on transport convoys; arson; rioting; criticizing Iranian and Syrian political's regimes; membership in the Ba'ath Party; political dissidence; intentionally causing a flood or attempting to cause a flood; damaging or sabotaging public structures; war crimes, crimes against humanity; genocide; financing and execution of terrorism.[181] Suspended in June 2003 after 2003 invasion; reinstated August 2004.[182][183] A total of 447 people were executed between then and the end of March 2013, with 129 in 2012 alone.[184]

 Israel
1962

1954 (civilian)
N/A (military)
Hanging; firing squad. Death penalty for crimes against humanity,[185] high treason, genocide, and crimes against the Jewish people during wartime. Only two executions since independence in 1948: accused traitor Meir Tobiansky (posthumously acquitted) and Holocaust architect Adolf Eichmann (last execution in 1962).[186] Abolished for other crimes 1954.

 Japan
2017[187]
3
n/a
Hanging. Murder; treason and crimes against the State. Judges usually impose death penalty in case of multiple homicides; death sentence for a single murder is extraordinary. Between 1946 and 2003 766 people were sentenced to death, 608 of whom were executed. For 40 months from 1989 to 1993 successive ministers of justice refused to authorise executions, which amounted to an informal moratorium. See also capital punishment in Japan.

 Jordan
2017[188]

n/a
Death penalty for some cases of terrorism, murder, aggravated murder, rape, aggravated robbery, drug trafficking, illegal possession and use of weapons, war crimes, espionage and treason.[189] Executions resumed in 2014 after a hiatus.[190]

 Kazakhstan
2003[191]

n/a
Currently capital punishment for terrorism and crimes in wartime.[192] Moratorium since 17 December 2003. Abolished on 30 July 2009 for other crimes.[193] On 28 March 2011 the Presidential Commission for Human Rights in Astana asked the government to abolish capital punishment.[194] Currently only one person, mass murderer Ruslan Kulikbayev, is on death row in Kazakhstan.[195]

 Kiribati
*None since independence in 1979

1979

 Kuwait
2017[196]

n/a
Death penalty for apostasy; drug trafficking; rape; murder; aggravated murder; kidnapping; piracy; torture; human trafficking; terrorism; certain military offences; national security crimes;[197] espionage; treason and perjury causing execution of an innocent person[198]

 Kyrgyzstan
*None since independence in 1991

2007
Kyrgyz authorities had extended a moratorium on executions each year since 1998. Abolished by constitution in 2007[199][200]

 Laos
1989

n/a
Death penalty for murder; hostage-taking; kidnapping; committing acts of robbery against the State or against "collective assets"; obstructing an officer in the performance of his public duties and causing his death or causing him physically disabled; trafficking in women or children resulting in death, lifetime incapacity or infection by HIV/AIDS of the victim; terrorism; drug trafficking; disrupting industry, trade, agriculture or other economic activities with the intent of undermining the national economy; drug possession; treason and espionage[201][202]

 Lebanon
2004[203]

n/a
Hanging; firing squad. Death penalty for murder;[204] aggravated murder; rape; pedophilia; terrorism; gang-robbery or gang-assault; arson against certain types of structures or sabotage of communications, transportation or industrial facilities causing death; aggravated assault; gang-assault involving torture; life-eligible crimes with recidivism; importing nuclear/toxic wastes; polluting rivers or waterways with harmful substances; some military offences (e.g. desertion); espionage and treason[205]

 Macau
19th century

1976

Main article: Capital punishment in Macau
It was last used in the 19th century and abolished in 1976 when Portugal abolished the death penalty on all its territories

 Malaysia
2017[206]
9
n/a
Hanging. Death penalty mandatory for trafficking in dangerous drugs; discharging a firearm in the commission of a scheduled offense; accomplices in case of discharge of firearm; offenses against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's person; murder; kidnapping; burglary; robbery; terrorism and treason. Discretionary for weapons trafficking; abetting mutiny; perjury causing wrongful execution;[207] consorting with a person carrying or having possession of arms or explosives; waging or attempting to wage war or abetting the waging of war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, a Ruler or Yang di-Pertua Negeri[208]

 Maldives
*None since independence in 1965

n/a
Last execution when a colony of Britain was in 1952. Death penalty for murder,[209] terrorism, treason, adultery and apostasy. 60-year moratorium lifted in 2014.[210]

 Marshall Islands
*None since independence in 1986

1986
Abolished in 1986 by Constitution

 F.S. Micronesia
*None since independence in 1986

1986
Abolished in 1986 by Constitution

 Mongolia
2008

2017
President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj instituted a moratorium in 2010, systematically commuting all death sentences. The death penalty was formally abolished on 1 July 2017.[211]

 Myanmar
1988

n/a
Death penalty for murder, terrorism, participating in a gang robbery if one of the robbers commits murder, abetting a successful mutiny, assault by a person under a life sentence which causing harm, assault with the intention to murder which causing only harm, perjury causing wrongful execution,[212] high treason[213] and drug trafficking.[214]

 Nauru
*None since independence in 1968

2016
Death penalty abolished May 2016[215]

   Nepal
1979

1997
Abolished 1997 by Constitution.

 New Zealand
1957

2007 (Cook Is.)
1989 (N.Z.)
Abolished in New Zealand in 1989. In 2007 the Cook Islands became the last of New Zealand`s overseas territories to abolish capital punishment. See also capital punishment in New Zealand

 North Korea
2017[216]
unknown number
n/a
Firing squad, hanging or decapitation. North Korea performs mainly private, but also performs some public executions. Current laws allow the death penalty for drug offences; plots against national sovereignty; circulating "harmful" information; political dissidence; terrorism; espionage; treason against the Motherland or against the people; murder; watching South Korean and foreign websites, medias or movies; kidnapping; rape; assault; armed robbery; violation of Juche customs; human trafficking; illegal border crossing; committing massacres; bank robbery; grand theft; making illegal international calls without a phone card; producing and/or watching pornography; embezzlement; currency counterfeiting; black market smuggling/trafficking; damaging or deliberately destroying state property; destroying military facilities or technology; unauthorized religious activity; returning home from foreign countries after become defector; and prostitution.[217] There have been at least 64 carried out death sentences in 2016, and in 2017 5 North Korean minister-level officials were executed by anti-aircraft guns; it is not known whether these officials were executed legally from judicial approval[218]. No offficial numbers can be known because of the secrecy surrounding the topic of capital punishment within the state.

 Oman
2015[219]

n/a
Death penalty for murder, drug trafficking, arson, piracy, terrorism, kidnapping, recividism of aggravated offenses punishable by life imprisonment, leading an armed group that engages in spreading disorder (such as by sabotage, pillage or killing), espionage, treason and perjury causing wrongful execution[220][221]

 Pakistan
2017[222]
87+
n/a

Main article: Capital punishment in Pakistan
Hanging. Death penalty for murder, aggravated murder, drug smuggling, terrorism, arms trafficking, armed robbery resulting in death, certain military offenses (e.g. cowardice, assisting the enemy, abetting a successful mutiny), kidnapping, rape, gang rape, perjury in a capital case leading execution of an innocent person, hijacking, sabotage of the railway system, stripping a woman’s clothes, a scheduled offence likely to create terror or disrupt sectarian harmony, acts to strike terror or create a sense of fear and insecurity resulting in death, unlawful assembly, treason, espionage, adultery, homosexuality and blasphemy.[223][224] Six-year moratorium lifted in 2014 after the Peshawar school massacre.

 Palau
*None since independence in 1994

1994

 Palestine
2017[225]
3
n/a
Hamas performs public executions[226][227][228]. Indeed, suspected political dissidents, such as accused Israel collaborators, are frequently executed, often in the street or public squares in front of large crowd to serve as warnings for people, and sometimes without trial.[229] Death penalty for aggravated murder; murder; terrorism; treason; espionage; military offenses and some offenses resulting in death like vandalism; medical violations; felony; disobedience; violence or sedition[230].

 Papua New Guinea
*None since independence in 1975[231]

n/a
Last execution when under Australian administration in November 1954. Treason; piracy; attempted piracy; willful murder. Papua New Guinea voted in 2013 to introduce the death penalty for crimes such as rape, robbery and sorcery-related murder.[232] See also capital punishment in Papua New Guinea.

 Philippines
2000[233]

2006
Abolished in 1987 under the present Constitution, re-introduced in 1993, re-abolished on 24 June 2006 under Republic Act No. 9346. The House of Representatives voted to reinstate the death penalty for drug crimes in March 2017 however the law is still pending Senate & Presidential approval.[234]

 Qatar
2003[235]

n/a
Death penalty for espionage;[236] threat to national security;[237] apostasy (no recorded executions); homosexuality; blasphemy;[238] murder; aggravated murder; violent robbery; arson; torture; kidnapping; terrorism; rape; drug trafficking; extortion by threat of accusation of a crime of honor; perjury causing wrongful execution and treason.[239]

 Samoa
*None since independence in 1962

2004[240]

 Saudi Arabia
2017[241]
154+
n/a
Decapitation. Saudi Arabia performs public executions. Current Islamic laws allow the use of capital punishment for many violent and nonviolent offenses which includes aggravated burglary, treason, espionage, as well as homosexuality, adultery; murder; blasphemy; apostasy;[242] drug trafficking; rape; armed robbery;[243] some military offences; witchcraft; sexual misconduct and terrorism. Method most often used is beheading with a scimitar, although the firing squad is sometimes used. Bodies may be put on public display.

 Singapore
2017[244]
4
n/a
Hanging. Death penalty for terrorism; murder; treason; perjury causing wrongful execution; kidnapping; certain firearm offenses; gang-robbery resulting in death; genocide; arms trafficking; piracy; attempted murder by a convict under a life sentence; drug trafficking in more than 15 grams of heroin or morphine, 30 grams of cocaine or 500 grams of cannabis and some military offences.[245][246] See also capital punishment in Singapore.

 Solomon Islands
*None since independence in 1978

1978

 South Korea
1997[247]

n/a
Death penalty for murder, aggravated murder, arson resulting in death, piracy, terrorism, kidnapping, rape, rebellion, drug trafficking, conspiracy with foreign countries, counterfeiting money and bank notes, robbery-homicide, recidivist violent robbery, treason, espionage, some military offences and other crimes.[248][249] There has been an unofficial moratorium on executions since President Kim Dae-jung took office in February 1998.[250]

 Sri Lanka
1976

n/a
Death penalty for murder; treason; perjury causing an innocent person to be executed; rape; armed robbery; drug trafficking; kidnapping with the use of a gun; extortion committed with the use of a gun; human trafficking offenses committed with the use of a gun; attempting murder with the use of a gun; causing harm with the use of a gun; assault on a public servant with the use of a gun and some military offences.[251] Moratorium since 1976.

 Syria
2017[252]
unknown number
n/a
Hanging is used for normal executions, and for military personal, shooting is used. Syria performs public executions. Current laws allow the death penalty for treason; espionage; murder; arson resulting in death; attempting a death-eligible crime; recidivism for a felony punishable by forced labor for life; terrorism; political acts and military offences such as bearing arms against Syria in the ranks of the enemy, insubordination, rebellion, desertion of the armed forces to the enemy and acts of incitement under martial law or in wartime; violent robbery; subjecting a person to torture or barbaric treatment during the commission of gang-robbery; rape. Certain crimes are considered to be that of which deserve an automatic death sentence punishment, those are : membership in the Muslim Brotherhood; joining the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant; drug trafficking; political dissidence and falsification of material evidence resulting in a third party being convicted for a drug offense and sentenced to death.[253] Extrajudicial killings are commonplace in Syria.[254] Persons excused from death row are women with small children, pregnant women, the mentally ill, the intelectually disabled, and teenagers who committed the crime under the age of 18 at the time[253]. Since the start of the civil war, it cannot be known clearly how many people have been put on death row. As of 2014, Syria did have an execution per capita rate of 1 for every 3,000,000 persons[253].

 Taiwan
2016
1
n/a
Gun shot to heart at close range with a single gun. Lethal injection is also a common form of execution. Person lies on a mattress where doctor marks where heart is; person then stands up and receives three shots to the marked place on their heart, unless the person is an organ donor, then the shot is to the back of the head[255]. Crimes punishable by death are: aggravated murder, murder, other offences resulting in death, drug trafficking, drug possession, treason, military offences, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide[256].Those excluded from capital punishment are: the elderly, pregnant women, women with small children, the mentally ill, and teenagers under the age of 18 at the time of the crime. As of 2006, the mandatory death penalty minimum was taken away. By the end of 2012, there were a recorded number of 120 prisoner executions.

 Tajikistan
2004

n/a
Firing squad. Death penalty for murder with aggravating circumstances; rape with aggravating circumstances; terrorism; biocide; genocide.[257] Moratorium introduced 30 April 2004 by President Emomalii Rahmon, which means instead of capital punishment, the individual shall receive a life in prison. Persons excluded from death row are: the elderly, women, pregnant women, intellectually disabled, the mentally ill, and teenagers who were under the age of 18 at the time of the crime[258]. Many interest groups within the state are attempting to rid the death penalty out of the law books altogether, for they believe in a bright future for the state[259].

 Thailand
2009[260]

n/a
Death penalty for 35 crimes including regicide; sedition or rebellion; offenses committed against the external security of Thailand; murder or attempted murder of a foreign head of state or a member of the royal family; bribery; high treason; espionage; terrorism acts; terrorism; arson; rape; murder; aggravated murder; drug trafficking; kidnapping; robbery resulting in death; certain military offences; illegal use of firearms or explosives. For a full list see here (PDF)

 Timor-Leste
*None since independence in 2002

2002[261]
Death penalty suspended following UN administration in 1999 when still a province of Indonesia. Abolished by constitution 2002.[261]

 Tonga
1982[26]

n/a
Hanging. Death penalty for treason, murder. See capital punishment in Tonga

 Turkmenistan
1997

1999
Abolished 1999 by Constitution.

 Tuvalu
*None since independence in 1978

1978

 United Arab Emirates
2017[262]

n/a
Death penalty by firing squad for murder; aggravated murder; drug offenses;[263] successfully inciting the suicide of a person "afflicted with total lack of free will or reason"; arson resulting in death; kidnapping resulting in death; acts of indecent assault resulting in death; importing nuclear substances/wastes in the environment of the State; flying unauthorized with unmanned vehicles (drones); rape; treason; adultery; apostasy; aggravated robbery; terrorism; sodomy; homosexuality; joining the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Syria or Iraq; blasphemy; espionage and perjury causing wrongful execution[264]

 Uzbekistan
2005[265]

2008
President Islam Karimov signed a decree on 1 August 2005 that replaced the death penalty with life imprisonment on 1 January 2008[266]

 Vanuatu
*None since independence in 1980

1980

 Vietnam
2016[267]
unknown number
n/a
Lethal injection. Death penalty for treason; taking action to overthrow the government; espionage; rebellion; banditry; terrorism; sabotage; hijacking; destruction of national security projects; undermining peace; war crimes; crimes against humanity; manufacturing, concealing and trafficking in narcotic substances; certain military offences; manufacturing or trading fake goods such as food or medicines, causing "particularly serious" consequences; murder; rape; robbery; embezzlement; fraud and receiving bribes above a certain amount, or causing "particularly serious" consequences[268][269]

 Yemen
2017[270]
unknown number
n/a
Shooting, stoning. Yemen performs public executions. Current laws allow the death penalty for murder;[271] adultery;[272] homosexuality;[77][273] apostasy[78] (no recorded executions); blasphemy;[274] drug trafficking; perjury causing wrongful execution; kidnapping; rape; sexual misconduct; violent robbery; banditry; terrorism; destruction of property leading to death; prostitution; certain military offenses (e.g. cowardice, desertion); espionage and treason.[275]

text: Europe[edit]

text: Of the 49 independent states in Europe that are UN members or have UN Observer status:

text:
1 (2%), Belarus, maintains the death penalty.
1 (2%), Russia, maintains the death penalty, but has a moratorium.
47 (96%) have completely abolished it.

text: Abolition of death penalty is a pre-condition for entry into the European Union, which considers capital punishment a "cruel and inhuman" practice and "not been shown in any way to act as a deterrent to crime".[276]

text: Since 1999, Belarus has been the only recognized country in Europe to carry out executions. 2009 and 2015 were the first two years in recorded history when Europe was completely free of executions. This century the following European countries have abolished capital punishment: Ukraine (2000), Malta (2000), Cyprus (2002), Turkey (2004), Greece (2004), Moldova (2005), Albania (2007), and Latvia (2012).

text: Executions in Europe in 2016: Belarus (4+)[277][278]

text:
Key
Country
Year of last execution
Executions 2016
Year abolished
Notes

 Albania
1995[279]

2007
Ratification of Protocol No. 13 of ECHR took place on 6 February 2007, in effect by 1 June 2007.[280]

 Andorra
1943

1990
Garrote, Firing Squad abolished 1990 by Constitution

 Armenia
*None since independence in 1991

1998
Abolished in 1998 by Constitution. The last execution when Armenia was a part of the USSR was on 30 August 1991.

 Austria
1950

1968
Abolished in peacetime 1950. Completely abolished in 1968 by Constitution.

 Azerbaijan
1993

1998

 Belarus
2017[281]
4+
n/a
Shooting. Belarus is the only country in Europe to practice the death penalty. Laws allow capital punishment for acts of aggression; murder of a representative of a foreign state or international organization with the intention to provoke international tension or war; international terrorism; genocide; crimes against the security of humanity; murder with aggravating circumstances; terrorism; terrorist acts; treason that results in loss of life; conspiracy to seize power; sabotage; murder of a police officer; murder of a border patrol; use of weapons of mass destruction; and violations of the laws and customs of war.[282] See Capital punishment in Belarus.

 Belgium
1950

1996
Last execution for common law crimes was in 1863. Last execution for war crimes was in 1950. Abolished 1996 by Penal Code; since 2005 in Constitution.

 Bosnia and Herzegovina
*None since independence in 1992

1998
Last execution when part of Yugoslavia was in 1975. Abolished 1998 by Constitution, although the death penalty is still present in statutes, specifically in Republika Srpska, Article 11, which states "Human life shall be inviolable. Death penalty may be pronounced exclusively for capital crimes."[283]

 Bulgaria
1989

1998
The last execution in Bulgaria took place on November 4, 1989, days before the downfall of Todor Zhivkov, which heralded the end of the communist regime. It was the year's 14th shooting of a convicted prisoner.

 Croatia
1987

1991
Last capital punishment was performed on January 29, 1987 by the state firing squad while Croatia was still part of SFR Yugoslavia. Last executed convict was Dušan Kosić who killed Čedomir Matijević, his wife Slavica and their two daughters, Dragana and Snježana.[284][285] Capital punishment was abolished in 1990 according to the provision of the new Croatian constitution enected for the SR Croatia. Upon declaring independence in June 1991 newly formed Republic of Croatia declared Constitution from 1990 official and left the jurisdiction of the Yugoslav Federation consequently completely abolishing capital punishment. Death penalty is prohibited by the article 21 of the Croatian Constitution.[286]

 Cyprus
1962

2002
Capital punishment for murder abolished in 1983. The unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus still retains the death penalty for wartime treason.

 Czech Republic
*None since independence in 1993

1990
Last execution when part of Czechoslovakia was in June 1989. Abolished after the Velvet Revolution 1990 by the amendment to Constitution of Czechoslovakia. Upon independence on 1 January 1993 the Czech Republic became a new abolitionist state. For more info see Capital punishment in the Czech Republic.

 Denmark
1950

1978
Last execution for common law crimes 1892. Last execution for war crimes 1950. Capital punishment was retroactively carried out 1945–50 for crimes related to the German occupation in World War II, repealed in 1951 and confirmed in 1993. A similar rule was active 1952–1978 in the civil penalty law for war crimes committed under extreme circumstances. See Capital punishment in Denmark.

 Estonia
1991

1998
In Estonia the last execution took place on 11 September 1991 when Rein Oruste was shot with a bullet to the back of the head for the crime of murder.

 Finland
1944

1972
Last peacetime execution 1825. Last wartime execution 1944. Capital punishment was abolished for civilian crimes in 1949 (all existing sentences commuted to life imprisonment) and for all crimes 1972. In 1984 the death penalty was explicitly outlawed in the Finnish Constitution. See Capital punishment in Finland.

 France
1977

1981
The death penalty was initially abolished by the Directory in 1795 but re-introduced by Napoleon in 1810. It was re-abolished in law in 1981 and by Constitution in 2007. See Capital punishment in France.

 Georgia
1995[279]

2006
The death penalty was abolished for most offenses in 1997, but the constitution stated that the Supreme Court had the power to impose the death penalty in exceptionally serious cases of "crimes against life". On 27 December 2006, President Mikheil Saakashvili signed into a law a new constitutional amendment totally abolishing the death penalty in all circumstances.
The self-proclaimed state of Abkhazia, which is claimed by Georgia, still retains the death penalty for wartime treason, but it has been under moratorium since 2007.

 Germany
1949 (West Germany)
1981 (East Germany)

1949 (West Germany)
1987 (East Germany)
Prohibited in West Germany by the Basic Law since 1949. US military authorities carried out an execution on West German territory in 1956. The now defunct GDR abolished the death penalty in 1987, the last execution was held in 1981.

 Greece
1972

2004[287][288]
Abolished in 1994 (Law 2207/1994) except for high treason in time of war; abolished completely with the Constitutional amendment of 2001 and then with the approval by Greek Parliament of the ratification of Protocol No. 13 on the abolition of death penalty in all circumstances in November 2004.

 Hungary
1988

1990
Capital punishment was abolished in 1990 and the last execution was of Ernő Vadász on 14 July 1988 for murder.

 Iceland
*None since independence in 1944[289]

1928[290]
Last execution in 1830 when a colony of Denmark.[289] Abolished in 1928;[290] reintroduction made unconstitutional in 1995 by unanimous vote of Parliament.[291]

 Ireland
1954

1990
See Capital punishment in Ireland. Abolished for most murders in 1964, and for remaining offences in 1990. Last death sentences passed in 1985; all since 1954 commuted to imprisonment. 2001 constitutional referendum prohibits reintroduction, even during state of emergency.

 Italy
1947

1948
On 30 November 1786 the Grand Duchy of Tuscany (then independent, now a part of Italy) became the first state in the modern era to completely abolish the death penalty. The short lived Roman Republic of Feb–July 1849 abolished the death penalty before being overthrown by French troops. When the Kingdom of Italy was formed in 1861 all the constituent states except Tuscany allowed capital punishment until it was abolished from the penal code in 1889 – although it was maintained under military and colonial law. In 1926 Mussolini reintroduced the death penalty into Italian law. It was re-abolished from the penal code in 1944. Art. 27 of the Constitution of the Italian Republic (1948) completely abolished it for all common military and civil crimes during peacetime. The death penalty was still, formally, in force in Italy in the military penal code, only for high treachery against the Republic or only in war theatre perpetrated crimes (though no execution ever took place) until it was abolished completely from there as well, in 1994. Article 27 of Italian Constitution was changed, in 2007, to impede the reintroduction of death penalty in time of war too. See Capital punishment in Italy.

 Latvia
1996

2012
Death penalty abolished for peacetime offenses 1999. Abolished for all crimes 2012.[292]

 Liechtenstein
1785

1987

 Lithuania
1995

1998

 Luxembourg
1949

1979
Abolished by Constitution 1979

 Macedonia
*None since independence in 1991

1991
Last execution when a part of Yugoslavia was in 1988.[279] Abolished by Constitution 1991.

 Malta
*None since independence in 1964

2000
Last execution when a colony of Britain was in 1943. Capital punishment for murder abolished in 1971; part of the military code until 2000.

 Moldova
*None since independence in 1991

2005
Last execution when a part of the USSR was in 1985.[279] On 23 September 2005 the Moldovan Constitutional Court approved constitutional amendments that abolished the death penalty.[293]
The self-proclaimed state of Transnistria, which is claimed by Moldova, still retains the death penalty but has observed a moratorium on executions since 1999.

 Monaco
1847

1962
Abolished by Constitution 1962

 Montenegro
*None since independence in 2006

1995
Last execution when a part of Yugoslavia was in 1992. Capital punishment abolished by Yugoslavia Federal Republic in 1995. When Montenegro declared independence in 2006 it became an abolitionist state.

 Netherlands
1952

1982 (Neth)
2010 (Neth Antilles)
Last execution for peacetime offences 1860. Abolished for peacetime offences in 1870. Abolished in Netherlands by Constitution 1982. Last Netherlands overseas territory to abolish was Netherlands Antilles in 2010.[294]

 Norway
1948

1979
Abolished for peacetime offences in 1902, last execution for peacetime offences 1876. Last executions of wartime offenders conducted on 37 men convicted of treason or war crimes in WWII in 1945–48.

 Poland
1988

1997
A criminal law reform including reintroduction of death penalty was proposed in 2004 by Prawo i Sprawiedliwość, but lost its first reading vote in the Sejm by 198 to 194 with 14 abstentions. It is said that this was only populism, as Poland was in the European Union and so this initiative hardly had a chance.[74] See More Capital punishment in Poland

 Portugal
1846

1976
Capital Punishment was abolished for political crimes in 1852, civil crimes in 1867 and war crimes in 1911.[295] In 1916, capital punishment was reinstated only for military offenses that occurred in a war against a foreign country and in the theater of war.[296] Capital punishment was completely abolished again in 1976.[297] See Capital punishment in Portugal.

 Romania
1989

1990[298]
The last people to be convicted and executed in Romania were former dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife, Elena Ceaușescu, following the Romanian Revolution of 1989. Their accusations ranged from crimes against humanity to high-treason. Abolished in 1990 and banned by Constitution in 1991.

 Russia
1996 (mainland Russia)
1999 (Chechnya)

n/a
Russia retains the death penalty, but it is rarely used. There have been 4 brief periods when Russia has completely abolished the death penalty, in the 18th century Russian empress Elizabeth abolished it, but it was restored by the next emperor, Peter III of Russia; then, on 12 March 1917 to 12 July 1917 following the overthrow of the Tsar, 27 October 1917 to 16 June 1918 following the seizure of power by the Bolsheviks, and 1947–1950 after the end of the Second World War (Joseph Stalin abolished it in 1947, but he had restored it in 1950, and for this short period, the strictest punishment in USSR was penal servitude in GULAG for 25 years). Currently the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation envisages the death penalty for five crimes: murder with aggravating circumstances, assassination attempt against a state or public figure, attempt on the life of a person administering justice or preliminary investigations, attempt on the life of a law-enforcement officer, and genocide.[299] On 16 April 1997 Russia signed the Sixth Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights, but has yet to ratify it. There has been a moratorium on executions since 1996; no executions in the Russian Federation since August 1996 (except one in 1999 in the Chechen Republic, a former limited recognition state). In November 2009, the Constitutional Court extended the moratorium indefinitely pending ratification of the Sixth Protocol. The death penalty is still present in statutes.[9] See Capital punishment in Russia.

 San Marino
1468

1865
Capital Punishment was abolished for civil crimes in 1848. The Death penalty was completely abolished for all crimes in 1865.

 Serbia
*None since independence in 2006

1995
Last execution when a part of Yugoslavia was in 1992. Capital punishment abolished by Yugoslavia Federal Republic in 1995. When Serbia became independent in 2006 it became an abolitionist state.

 Slovakia
*None since independence in 1993

1990
Last execution when a part of Czechoslovakia was in 1989. Abolished 1990 by Constitution when still a constituent part of Czechoslovakia. Upon independence on 1 January 1993 Slovakia became a new abolitionist state.

 Slovenia
*None since independence in 1991

1991
Last execution when a part of Yugoslavia was in 1959. Abolished in Slovenian Yugoslav Republic 1989 by Constitution. Upon declaration of independence in 1991 Slovenia removed itself from the jurisdiction of the Federal Yugoslav capital punishment statutes effectively achieving complete abolition.

 Spain
1975

1978 (civilian)
1995 (military)
Abolished in 1978 by constitution except for military laws during wartime. Abolished from the military penal code in 1995.[300] See also capital punishment in Spain.

 Sweden
1910

1973
Peacetime offences 1921, Wartime offences 1973. Constitutionally prohibited since 1975. See also capital punishment in Sweden.

  Switzerland
1944

1992
Capital Punishment was abolished in 1874, but reinstated in 1879. It was practiced by a few cantons (nine executions up to 1940). Abolished by popular vote in 1938, except for wartime military crimes, for which it was abolished in 1992. Banned by the 1999 constitution.

 Turkey
1984

2004
Abolished in 2004 by Constitution. On October 29, 2016, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his government would ask parliament to consider reintroducing the death penalty as a punishment for the plotters behind the July coup bid.[301]

 Ukraine
1997[302]

2000[303][304]
Abolished February 2000 after the Constitutional Court ruled the death penalty unconstitutional in December 1999.[303][304] New criminal code passed in April 2000.[303][304][305] The unrecognized Donetsk People's Republic reintroduced the death penalty for treason in 2014.[306]

 United Kingdom
1977 (Bermuda)
1964 (UK)

1965 (murder, Great Britain; permanent 1969)
1973 (murder, Northern Ireland)
1998 (all offences)
2006 (Jersey)
Last execution in the UK was in 1964. The last execution on British Overseas Territory occurred in Bermuda in 1977. Abolished for murder in 1969 in Great Britain and 1973 in Northern Ireland. Abolished for all remaining offences (high treason, piracy with violence and offences under military jurisdiction) in UK in 1998. European Convention, Thirteenth Protocol ratified in 2003 confirming total abolition. See Capital punishment in the United Kingdom. The last British Territory or Crown Dependency to completely abolish capital punishment was Jersey on 10 December 2006 (see Capital punishment in Jersey).

  Vatican City
1870 (as Papal States)[307]

1969
Mazzatello was used. Never used within the Vatican and only carried out in the Papal States by local authorities where the sentences were handed out. The death penalty was reserved for assassins of the pope until its abolition in 1969.

text: Abolition chronology[edit]

text: The table below lists in chronological order the 103 independent states, that are either UN members or have UN observer status, that have completely abolished the death penalty. In the hundred years following the abolition of capital punishment by Venezuela in 1863 only 11 more countries followed, not counting temporary abolitions which were later reversed. From the 1960s onwards abolition became far more popular. 4 countries abolished capital punishment in the 1960s (a record up to that time for any decade), 11 in the 1970s, and a further 10 in the 1980s. After the end of the Cold War, the rate of abolition greatly increased. 35 countries abolished capital punishment in the 1990s, and a further 23 in the 2000s. Since 1985, there have been only five years when no country has abolished the death penalty: 1988, 2003, 2011, 2013 and 2014.

text: Note: Where a country has abolished, re-instated, and abolished again (e.g. Philippines, Switzerland, Portugal) only the later abolition date is included. Countries who have abolished and since reinstated (e.g. Liberia) are not included. Non-independent territories are considered to be under the jurisdiction of their parent country – which leads to unexpectedly late abolition dates for the UK, New Zealand and the Netherlands, where Jersey (UK), the Cook Is (NZ), and the Netherlands Antilles, were the last territories of those states to abolish capital punishment, and all were rather later than the more well known abolitions on the respective mainlands. Defunct countries such as the GDR (East Germany), which abolished capital punishment in 1987 but was dissolved in 1990, are also not included. References are in the continental tables above and not repeated here.

text:
Year abolished
Country
Countries per year
Running total

1863
 Venezuela
1
1

1865
 San Marino
1
2

1877
 Costa Rica
1
3

1903
 Panama
1
4

1906
 Ecuador
1
5

1907
 Uruguay
1
6

1910
 Colombia
1
7

1928
 Iceland
1
8

1948
 Italy
1
9

1949
 Germany
1
10

1956
 Honduras
1
11

1962
 Monaco
1
12

1966
 Dominican Republic
1
13

1968
 Austria
1
14

1969
  Vatican City
1
15

1972
 Finland
1
16

1973
 Sweden
1
17

1976
 Portugal
1
18

1978
 Denmark  Solomon Islands  Tuvalu
3
21

1979
 Kiribati  Luxembourg  Nicaragua  Norway
4
25

1980
 Vanuatu
1
26

1981
 Cape Verde  France
2
28

1982
 Netherlands
1
29

1985
 Australia
1
30

1986
 Marshall Islands  F.S. Micronesia
2
32

1987
 Haiti  Liechtenstein
2
34

1989
 Cambodia
1
35

1990
 Andorra  Czechoslovakia.  Hungary  Ireland
 Mozambique  Namibia  Romania  São Tomé and Príncipe
9
44

1991
 Croatia  Macedonia  Slovenia
3
47

1992
 Angola  Paraguay   Switzerland
3
50

1993
 Guinea-Bissau  Seychelles
2
52

1994
 Palau
1
53

1995
 Djibouti  Mauritius  South Africa  Spain  Serbia and Montenegro
6
59

1996
 Belgium
1
60

1997
   Nepal  Poland
2
62

1998
 Armenia  Azerbaijan  Bosnia and Herzegovina  Bulgaria  Canada  Estonia  Lithuania
 United Kingdom
8
70

1999
 Turkmenistan
1
71

2000
 Ivory Coast  Malta  Ukraine
3
74

2002
 Cyprus  Timor-Leste
2
76

2004
 Bhutan  Greece  Samoa  Senegal  Turkey
5
81

2005
 Mexico  Moldova
2
83

2006
 Georgia  Philippines
2
85

2007
 Albania  Kyrgyzstan  New Zealand[308] (In Cook Islands, NZ proper in 1989)  Rwanda
4
89

2008
 Uzbekistan
1
90

2009
 Argentina  Bolivia  Burundi  Togo
4
94

2010
 Gabon
1
95

2012
 Latvia
1
96

2015
 Congo  Fiji  Madagascar  Suriname
4
100

2016
 Benin  Nauru
2
102

2017
 Mongolia
1
103


document_title: Frog Went A-Courting

question_text: who sang froggy went a courtin on tom and jerry

text: Frog Went A-Courting

text: Summary[edit]

text: Frog rides to ask Miss Mouse to marry him. She is willing but must ask permission of Uncle Rat. In other versions such as "King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O" by Chubby Parker, Frog fights and kills Miss Mouse's other suitors (an owl, bat and bumblebee) after they interrupt his proposal. Uncle Rat's permission received, the two work out details of the wedding. Some versions end with a cat, snake or other creature devouring the couple and wedding guests. Sometimes Frog gets away, but is later swallowed by a duck. See "Frog Went A-Courting" at Wikisource for one version of the lyrics.

text: Usually, the final verse states that there's a piece of food on the shelf, and that if the listener wants to hear more verses, they have to sing it themselves.

text: The notes on this song in Cazden et al. (pp. 524–532) constitute probably the best succinct summary available on variants of this piece.

text: Origin[edit]

text: Spaeth has a note claiming that the original version of this was supposed to refer to François, Duke of Anjou's wooing of Elizabeth I of England, however, this was in 1579 and the original Scottish version was already published. If the second known version (1611, in Melismata, also reprinted in Chappell) were the oldest, this might be possible — there are seeming political references to "Gib, our cat" and "Dick, our Drake." But the Wedderburn text, which at least anticipates the song, predates the reign of Queen Elizabeth by nine years, and Queen Mary by four. If it refers to any queen at all, it would seemingly have to be Mary Stuart. Evelyn K. Wells, however, in the liner notes to the LP Brave Boys; New England traditions in folk music (New World Records 239, 1977), suggests that the original may have been satirically altered in 1580 when it was recorded in the register of the London Company of Stationers, as this would have been at the height of the unpopular courtship.

text: According to Albert Jack in his book "Pop Goes the Weasel, The Secret Meanings of Nursery Rhymes" (pp. 33–37, copyright 2008), the earliest known version of the song was published in 1549 as "The Frog Came to the Myl Dur" in Robert Wedderburn's "Complaynt of Scotland". He states that in 1547 the Scottish Queen Consort, Mary of Guise, under attack from Henry VIII, sought to marry her daughter Princess Mary (later Mary Queen of Scots), "Mrs. Mouse" to the 3 year old French Prince Louis, the "frog". The song resurfaced a few years later, with changes, when another French (frog) wooing caused concern—that of the Duke of Anjou and Queen Elizabeth I in 1579. Elizabeth even nicknamed Anjou, her favorite suitor, "the frog".

text: Another theory traces the song to Suffolk: "Roley, Poley, Gammon and Spinach" refer to four families of Suffolk notables, Rowley, Poley, Bacon and Green.

text: Popular culture[edit]

text: This section indiscriminately collects miscellaneous information. Please compress this material to remove any irrelevant or unimportant information. (March 2017)

text: The song has been heard by many people (as "Froggie Went A-Courtin'") in the 1955 Tom and Jerry cartoon Pecos Pest, which uses a version arranged and performed by Shug Fisher, in character as "Uncle Pecos." In Pecos Pest, Jerry's Uncle Pecos stays with him while getting ready for a television appearance, and continues to pluck Tom's whiskers to use as guitar strings throughout the cartoon. It is an improvised version with many lyrics that are unintelligible, and many changed. For example, he stutters and gives up when he tries to say "hickory tree" and says "way down yonder by the--," stammers out the names of several types of trees, finally settling (ironically) on "eucalyptus". He also mentions while continuing the music "That's the hard part right in there, n-n-n-n-nephew!" and "there's a yodel in thar somewhar, but it's a little too high f'r me."

text: Some refer to this song as "Crambone" as it is repeated at the end of many lines and said more clearly than the other words in this version. For example, the line is "Froggie went a-courtin' he did ride/Crambone." Fisher, in character as Pecos, delivers the coda with a glottal stutter on the letter c. Woody Guthrie's version used "Hey-hey," and Bob Dylan's version used "uh-huh" in the same way after several lines.

text: Other examples in film and TV include:

text:
Keith (played by Roger Sloman) plays a version on banjo before being distracted by a 'lovely robin' in Mike Leigh's Nuts in May.
In "The Muppets Valentine Show" (a 1973 pilot version of The Muppet Show), Kermit the Frog going a-courtin' Miss Mousey.
A 1977 animated version of the folk tune features a happier ending for Froggie and Miss Mousie: they honeymoon around the world and give birth to two frog/mouse combination children and complete the song with "If you want more, you've got to sing it yourself!"
Ethan Hawke's character Troy Dyer is singing the song on his guitar at the end of the film Reality Bites when Winona Ryder's character Lelaina Pierce comes and tackles him on the couch.
Danny Tanner briefly sings the song while giving his oldest daughter D.J. guitar lessons in the sitcom Full House, in the episode "The Seven Month Inch (Part 2)".
Thomas Raith hums the song during a standoff with the Denarians in Jim Butcher's Small Favor, a novel of the Dresden Files.
The Dexter's Laboratory episode "Hamhocks and Armlocks" begins with the titular Dexter and his family signing the song on a road trip.
Bender sings a version of the song in the Futurama episode "Bendin' in the Wind".
Bobby Hill is heard to sing the opening verse on an episode of King of the Hill.
It has also been used in the episode of The Colbert Report that aired on May 23, 2007. This version was sung by Burl Ives. Colbert also sung a portion of the song on the June 18, 2007 episode, during an interview with Toby Keith.
The song was performed on The Fast Show by the character Bob Fleming as one of 'Bob Fleming's Country Favourites'.
An explicit adaption of the "King Kong Kitchie-Kitchie Ki-Me-Oh" version, named "What Do You Say" by Mickey Avalon, appeared on the soundtrack of the 2009 film The Hangover.
Mike Oldfield covered as a B side of Mike Oldfield's Single.
In Six Feet Under Season 4, Episode 3 "Parallel Play", Russell Corwin played by Ben Foster, sings the chorus over and over on a stage at a party.
The song is frequently sung in The Return of Peter Grimm, an RKO film released in 1935, and the second screen adaptation of David Belasco's Broadway hit. The film starred Lionel Barrymore.

text: In 1941, the German composer Paul Hindemith wrote a series of variations "Frog He Went a Courting" for Cello and Piano.

text: Recordings[edit]

text: This section may contain indiscriminate, excessive, or irrelevant examples. Please improve the article by adding more descriptive text and removing less pertinent examples. See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for further suggestions. (March 2017)

text: The song has been recorded by Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and many others. Folk singer Burl Ives performed perhaps the most well-known and kid-friendly version, in which Frog and Miss Mousie are wed.

text:
Elvis Presley version rehearsal jam
Thomas Ravenscroft version (1611)

"T. Ravenscroft: Songs, Rounds and Catches," Consort of Musicke, Rooley
"Cakes and Ale - Catches and Partsongs", Pro Cantione Antiqua, Mark Brown

Albert Beale, "A Frog He Would a-Wooing Go" (on "Folk Songs of Britain, Vol. X: Animal Songs")
Brothers Four, "Frogg" (Columbia Records single, 1961), US #32; also sequel, "Frogg No. 2" on LP The Brothers Four Song Book (Columbia, 1961)
Blind Willie McTell, "Hillbilly Willie's Blues", uses the tune of "Frog".
Anne, Zeke, and Judy Canova (as "Juliet Canova"), "Frog Went A-Courtin'" (Brunswick 264, 1928; on "The Story that the Crow Told Me, Vol. 2" (2000))
Elizabeth Cronin, "Uncle Rat Went Out to Ride" (on "Folk Songs of Britain, Vol. X: Animal Songs")
Drusilla Davis, "Frog Went A-Courting" (AFS 347 B, 1935)
Danny Dell And The Trends, "Froggy Went A Courting" (Rockin' RR160 single, 1960)
Excepter "Knock Knock" (or "KK") on the Carrots single.
Flat Duo Jets, "Frog Went A Courtin'" on "Go Go Harlem Baby" (1991)
Otis High & Flarrie Griffin, "Froggie Went A-Courtin'" (on "Hand-Me-Down Music -- Old Songs, Old Friends: 1 -- Traditional Music of Union County, North Carolina" (1979))
Tom Glazer: Froggie went a courting"
Bradley Kincaid, "Froggie Went A Courting" (Silvertone 5188, 1927; Supertone 9209, 1928)
Adolphus Le Ruez,"The Frog and the Mouse" (on "Folk Songs of Britain, Vol. X: Animal Songs")
Pleaz Mobley, "Froggie Went A-Courting" (AFS; on LC12)
Chubby Parker, "King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O" (Columbia 15296D, 1928; on Anthology of American Folk Music, CrowTold01) (Supertone 9731, 1930) (Conqueror 7889, 1931)
Annie Paterson, "The Frog and the Mouse" (on "Folk Songs of Britain, Vol. X: Animal Songs")
Unknown artist(s), "A Frog He Would A-Wooing Go" (Harper-Columbia 1162, c. 1919)
John Jacob Niles, "The Frog Went Courting" (on "American Folk & Gambling Songs", 1956)
Dorothy Olsen (the Singing Schoolteacher), "Frog Went A-Courtin'" (children's record, RCA/Bluebird WBY-54)(1956)
Packie Manus Byrne (Various – Songs From Ulster), "The Frog's Wedding" (Mulligan – LUNA 001 )(Recorded between 1955 and 1962, published in 1977)
Shug Fisher, "Froggie Went A-Courtin'" (In MGM "Tom and Jerry" cartoon "Pecos Pest", 1955)
Tom Tall, "Froggy Went A-Courting" (1958)
Elvis Presley, "Froggie Went A-Courtin'" (on "Walk a Mile in My Shoes - The Essential 70's Masters", 1970)
Tex Ritter, "Froggy Went A-Courtin'" (on "American Legend", 1973)
Romina Power, "Paolino maialino" (with Italian lyrics written by Paolo Limiti, released as single in 1974)
The Wiggles, "A Froggy He Would A-Wooing Goo" (on "The Wiggles", 1991)
Bob Dylan, "Froggie Went a Courtin'" (on Good as I Been to You, 1992)
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, "King Kong Kitchee Kitchee Ki-Mi-O," B-side to the single "Henry Lee" (1996)
Laurie Berkner, "Froggie Went a-Courtin'" on Victor Vito (1999)
Dan Zanes, "King Kong Kitchie" (Festival Five Records, 2000)
Mike Oldfield, "Froggy Went A-Courting" (on Mike Oldfield's Single, UK edition, 1974)
Altan, "Uncle Rat" (on The Blue Idol) (2002)
The Can Kickers, "Froggy Went A Courtin'" on Mountain Dudes (2003)
James Reyne, And the Horse You Rode in On, (2005)
Bruce Springsteen, "Froggie Went a Courtin'" (on We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, 2006)
Marc Gunn, "Froggie Went A-Courtin'" (on "A Tribute to Love", 2008)
Laura Veirs, "King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O" (on "Tumble Bee: Laura Veirs Sings Folk Songs for Children", 2011)
Over 150 recorded versions are listed on the "Seeger Sessions" website
Tom Scott, "Froggie Went A Courtin" Signature record number 15098 78 RPM
French adaptation by Claude François : "Monsieur Crapaud" (Mister Toad) (1975)
Suzy Bogguss, "Froggie Went A-Courtin'" (on "American Folk Songbook", 2011)
Elizabeth Mitchell, "Froggie Went A-Courtin' on Blue Clouds 2012
Careful, "Frog Went a'Courting" (on "Because I Am Always Talking", 2012)
Adaptation of subject matter to a different tune and meter by John McCutcheon on his children's album Howjadoo
Alfred Deller and The Deller Consort
Gerhard Schöne, "Frosch und Maus", german re-working of the song (on "Kinderlieder aus aller Welt", 1986)

text: Alternative titles[edit]

text:
"Crambone"
"Die Padda wou gaan opsit" (Afrikaans version in South Africa)
"Frog in the Well"
"Froggie Went A-Courtin'"
"Froggy Would A-Wooing Go"
"The Frog's Wooing"
"A Frog Went A-Walkin'"
"King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O"
"There Lived a Puddie in the Well"
"There Was a Puggie in a Well"
"Y Broga Bach" (Welsh)
"Yo para ser feliz quiero un camión"